Flush valve



Oct. l29, '1929. A. sTERBENz ET AL FLUSH VALVE Filed May 14, -1928 INVENToR. 22005 malen AZe/Q zPe/. f2 LJ. 75 wk ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct.` 29, 19429 UNiTED STATES,

#OFFICE FLUSH VALVEA Application' med yMay 14, 192s. serial Nrapkewgeos.v y

This invention -is arush valve for water vclosetsand thelike; and hasy forhits object to provide-improved means for maintaining the discharge outlet in open position for a pre` determined `interval and to then reclosey the outlet ywith certainty of action, i

n, It is a further object of rthe y"invention to utilize the service pressure Jfor openinglthe discharge outlet, and to provide improved 11 10 means-for controlling the service pressure so as `to insure positive operation of the flush yvalve.r H j l It is another obj ect of the invention to proyvide a reliable control for the water supply I l5 admitted to the flush tank and to ins/ure positive but noiseless operation of the valvulary means for cutting off the supply when the tank is filled. y j j It is astill further object of the invention "W to rovide an eXtremel sim lifiedconstruc- P i .Y P

tion ypermitting convenient assembly of its yparts and including convenient adjustments for adopting the flush valve to various tanks and regulating its period of'discharge. Y Further objects ofthe invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which: f ,i j l,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentaryk front elevation of a water closet tank partly broken away and showing the flushvalvepartly in' axial section.y i i Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sections on the lines 2 2 and 3-3 rrespectively of Fig; 1.

The Hush valve is illustrated as employed in a usual water closet, tank 1 which is adapted to be supplied krwith water through pipe 2 and is arranged for flushing discharge through a pipe 3. The flush valve maybe actuated by a usual hand lever 4 controlling a rock arm 5 which in the present instance is pivoted on a rod 6 projecting upwardly from n the flush valve mechanism. The outlet 7 from tank 1 which is adapted for communicationr with discharge pipe 3 is shown as centrally positioned in the base of the'tank,k and is preferably threaded for engaging and supporting the entirenflush valve mechanism.

f 'The' valve ymechanism comprises an outlet pipe 8 threaded in opening 7 and connected fwhich'extends into the tankforming a seat 9 lconduit 18 through the outlet 2O so as to refill the tank1,and so arranged that just before to discharge pipe 3, with the end of pipe 8 for the discharge valve10. A stand pipe 11` c forming anoverflow outlet is mounted on and opens through valve 10, and a cylinder 12 for )the control mechanism maybe formed integral withpipe y8 and is shown as projecting kupwardly in tank 1 alongside tliefstand pipe A transverse valve seat 13 is provided in y,cylinder v12 intermediate ofits ends, and a valve 14H` is adapted to close upwardly'against this-seat and may beyieldablly urged to closed position by a coil spring 15 mounted in the lower end ofcylinder k12jand abutting'rat itsi respective ends against an internal shoulder 16 in cylinder12 and'against a'washer 17 at ,the underside of valve 14 andfor free fiow ofy water past'the'same.y A water supply Con-` ,s duit r18 is preferably formed in the wall 'of 70 outlet pipe 8, and extends axially yof the bore of the ypipe so as to open through the side :thereof at itsy lower end for communication with supply pipe 2, withthe upperend of this Y supply conduit opening into the bore of cylin- 75 der 12 below shoulder 16 and in slightly spaced relation above the'upperedge of a semi-sphericalseat 19 which is formed inthe Lbaseer1 cylinder 12 and which opensv therel through into tank 1 as shown at 20.

` A spherical valve 21 is vertically movable f in the lower end of cylinder 12 so vas to open or 4close outlet`20,r with the valve ywhen in open position permitting dischargeof water from y f it engages seat 19 the upper side of the valve y is subjected to the service pressure in yconduity 18 *for quickly forcing the valve to its seat so as to close outlet 2O vand thereby shut-off 90 i ythe water supply to the tank 1. Thevalve 21 is actuated by a. floatmechanism in tank 1, and is shown as mounted on a rod 22 which depends through outlet 20. f An actuating lever isr pivoted intermediate of'its ends to a lug 24 which depends from cylinder 12, with short arm 25 of the lever engaging the lower end offro'd 22 as shown at 26, and' the'long arm 27 of the' lever carrying the float mechanism.

' They float mechanism4 comprises ausual hollow globe 30 mounted on a rod 31 which is pivoted at 32 to the long arm 27 of the actuating lever. This pivoted connection is spaced from both the free Outer end of arm 27 and from its pivoted mounting 24, and is so posi tioned that when the tank 1 is full the float 30 will have swung 31 upwardly with relation to lever arm 27 and will have also rocked the lever arm so as to closevalve 21 as shown in Fig. 1. lVhen outlet valve is opened Jfor discharge of the water from tank 1,the resulting depression of float 30 will immediately swing lever arm 27 downwardly so as to open valve 21, and when the leve-r arm is in substantially horizontal position with valve 21 fully open the continued depression of Vtloat 3() produces a lost motion connection as a result of the pivoted connection 32 whereby the valve 21A will remain stationary inl its open position untily the float is at the bottom of the tank. As the ytank is Arefilled through the open outlet 20, the float will rise, but due to the lost motion pivoted connection y32 will not move the lever arm- 27 until after the rod 31 is substantially vertical with the tank nearly `full, and the continued elevation of the lioat will then swing lever arm 27 upwardly to elose valve 2,1v and shutTof thewater supply to the tank. The swinging outer end of lever arm 27 may be adjustably counter-balanced as shown at 33 to insure lost motion operation of the float mechanism as has been described.

The upper end ort eylinder 12 may be providedwith an apertured cover plate35 which may carrythe upstandingsupporting rod 6 for the rock Varm 5, and a tube 36 is slidable through plate 35 with its lower end carrying a piston 37operative in the upper end of cylinder 12 in spaced relation above valve seat 13. A transverse arm 38 is mounted on the end of tube 36 which projects above cover plate 35, andthe tube and arm are normally depressed by a spring 39 mounted in cylinder 12 between piston 37 and'cover plate 35,*but'are adaptedk tor elevation relative to cylinder 12 for opening outlet valve 1() when rock arm 5 is actuated.

As an instance ot this ,arrangement one end ot arm 38 forms a split ring 39 adapted to be clamped on stand pipe 11, and the opposite end ot the arm is preferably vertically guided on rod G by means of a fork r40, with the arm preferably vertically adjustable on tube r36 byv means of a split clamp 41.

er rod 42 extends through tube 36 and rests at its lowern end on valve 14, ,and with valve 14 in normal closed position the upper end ot rod 42 is positioned belowand immediately adjacentthe end otrock 5 as shown in Fig. 1, so that rocking the arm 5 by actuatthe hand lever 4 `will depress rod 42 and thereby open valveg14 against the tension of tSSPr-ng 1 5. The Cover Plate ..35 may beloeked inrotatably adjusted position on cylinder 1 2 by means of a set screw 45, in

order to aline the upstanding rod 6 with the rock arm 5 and with the forked end ot transverse arm 38.

Elevation ot piston 37 on the Cylinder 12 and aginst the tension of spring 39 is thus adapted to open valve 10 through the operating connection formed bv tube 36, arm 38 and stand pipe 11; and the bore of cylinder l12 is provided with a bleeder port l50 opening t-o tank 1 and controlled by a needle .valve 51, with said port communicating fith the bore of cylinder 12 between the valve seat 13 and the normal depressed position o1"V piston 37 shown in Fig. 1, so that after elevation of the piston for opening outlet valve 10, the pressure in cylinder 12 above valve seat 13 which has caused said movement of the piston, will gradually estion.V To eect the iiushing action arm 5.

is` rocked so as to'depress rod 42 and open valve 14, whereupon the water `supply 'from conduit 18 flows past the washer 17 and through the valve seat 13 so that service pressure is directedagainst piston 37 for elevating the same and thereby'opening the outlet valve 10 for discharge ofthe water in the tank through the flush pipey 3. The float 30 is thereby lowered and immediately swings lever arm 27 so as to open valve 21 and permit the'waterV supply from conduit 17 to dow through outlet 2Q tor maintaining the water supply for the flushing .dis charge. As soon as hand lever 4 is released, the spring 15 recloses valve 14 and the water above valve seat 13 thenY slowly drains through bleeder port to permit corresponding gradual descent of piston 37 responsive to its spring 39. After a predetermined flushing interval, valve 10 will thus be reelosed, and the water supply continuing from conduit 18 through the open out let 2O into Vthe tank 1, will thus refill the tank. Then float rod 3l has been swung `to substantially vertical position relative to The improved mechanism is thus positive in operation and of simplified construction, and permits adjustment of the flushing interval by adjustingl needle valve 51, and also provides for adaption of the device to various tanks and for adjustment to compensate for Wearing of valve l by means of the adjustable mounting of arm 38 on both tube 36 and stand pipe 1l. The stand pipe provides the usual overflow for limiting filling of tank l in the event of failure of valve 2l to properly close, and the positioning oi the stand pipe on valve adapted it for use as a part of the operating mechanism for the valve and also eliminates the necessity for a separate connection between the stand pipe and the flush pipe 3.

We claim:

1. Flush valve mechanism comprising a tank, a fluid supply to the tank, a discharge valve for the tank, a piston controlling the discharge valve, a control valve normally seated by pressure of the fluid supply so as to shut ofiF said pressure to the piston, means for opening the controlvalve for directing the pressure of the fluid supply against the piston for actuating the piston to open the discharge valve, a valvularcontrol for the fluid supply to the tank, and a float in the'tank for actuating said valvular control.

2. Flush valve mechanism comprising a fluid supply, a discharge valve, apiston controlling the discharge valve, a control valve normally seated by pressure of the fluid supply so as to shut ofi' said pressure to the piston, means for opening the control valve for directing the pressure of the fluid supply against the piston for actuating the piston to open the discharge valve, a valvular control for the fluid supply, and meansfor actuating said valvular control, the said pressure of the fluid supply being adapted to complete the closing of said valvular control.

3. Flush valve mechanism comprising a cylinder, a control valve in the cylinder, a pistn in the cylinder at one side of the control valve, a fluid supply to the cylinder at the opposite side of the control valve tending to close said control valve for shutting off the pressure of the fluid supply to the piston, operating means extending into the cylinder for opening the control valve for actuating the piston by the pressure of the fluid supply, a discharge valve, and an operating conneci tion between the piston and the discharge valve.

ll. Flush valve mechanism comprising a tank, a discharge valve for the tank, a cylinder in the tank, a control valve in the cylinder, a piston in the cylinder at one side of t-he control valve, a fluid supply to the cylinder at the opposite side of the control valve, an outlet to the tank at said opposite side of the d control valve, a valvular control for said outlet, operating means extending intothe cylinder for opening the `control valve for actu-y y. -atinglthe piston by the pressure of the fluid,y supply, an operating connection between the piston and tliediscliarge valve for opening f the discharge'fvalve by saidactuation of the piston, anidmeans for operatingsaid valvular control in accordance With thel level of the yfluid in thetankV 'f "f 5. jFlush valve' mechanism 'comprising a cylinder, ka discharge valve, an operating member on ythe discharger valve, e, actuating c means being guided by ,the support. y

6. Flush valve mechanism comprising a tank, a fluid supply to the tank, a discharge valve for the tank, a pistony controlling the c so ling said actuating'means, the said connecting discharge valve, a valve ycontrolling pressure of the fluid supply to the piston for opening the discharge valve, means for opening the v control valve, a valvular control for the fluid supply to the tank, and means for operating A said valvular control in accordance with the levelof the fluid in the tank, the saidy pressure ofthe fluid supply being adapted to complete the. closing of said valvular control.

7. Flush valve mechanism comprising a .y

tank, a fluid supply to the tank, a discharge f valve for the tank,a piston controlling the discharge valve, acontrol kvalve normally seated by pressure ofthe fluid supply for shutting off said pressure to the piston, means for opening the control'valve to permit pres-` sure of the fluid supply against the piston for opening the discharge valve, a valvular control for the fluid supply tor the' tank, l and means for operating said valvular control `in accordance with the level ofthe fluid in the e,

tank.

tank, a fluid supply to the tank, a discharge valve for thetank, a'piston controlling the discharge valve, ya valve controlling pressure ofthe fluid supply to the piston for opening 8. Flush valvey mechanism comprising ar tiio the discharge valve,means for opening the 7 control valve, means for reclosing the control valve, a bleeder for the pressure against the piston, means for moving the piston toreclose the discharge valve accordance With relief of the'pressure against the piston, a valvular control for the fluid supply, and

means for operating `said valvular control in accordance with the level of the fluid in the tank.

9. Flush valve mechanism comprising a fluid supply, a discharge valve,a piston con-y trolling the discharge valve, a valve'controlling pressure ofthe fluid supply to the piston n for opening the discharge valve, means for opening the control valve, means for reclosing the control valve, a bleeder for the pressure against the piston,1neans for moving the pis.- f 

